Corey Blake (@CoreyBlake9000) of Round Table Companies (RTC) gratuitously shared a review copy of Paul Glover’s (@glovergroup) WorkQuake book (@WorkQuakeBook) with me. As a follower of Paul Glover’s work in associations with FastCompany, I was very interested in the book!
The book focuses on “the excuses people at all levels of an organization have for not being productive, effective and accountable participants in the Workplace of the Knowledge Economy!”
The book is organized as a collection of Bottom Line articles that focus on operational performance issues and Morning Mantra articles that focus on personal performance or productivity issues — to “survive the WorkQuake“:
WorkQuake — A convulsion in the world of work, caused by a shift in the fundamentals of an economy, rendering the business world and work environment virtually unrecognizable to those working in the transition period between an old economy and its replacement economy. The current WorkQuake is occurring between the Industrial Economy and the Knowledge Economy.
Each article is a nugget of practical wisdom, blending just enough Why with great amounts of How… a book for the pragmatist in all of us!
One of my favorite Bottom Line articles is about Conflict, “the natural course of events when the ideas and interests of two or more individuals or groups clash — which, in a vibrant organization, they should be doing all the time.” The book distinguishes between Good and Bad conflict, explores root causes, and describes how leaders can manage conflict: Define the conflict; It’s not you versus me, it’s you and me versus the problem; Find common ground; Separate opinions from facts; Have an open mind; Listen actively; Silence is not necessarily assent; and Follow up. Great practical wisdom!
Another one of my favorite Bottom Line articles is about Performance, where the book offers “Ten Tips Guaranteed to Improve Organizational Performance”: Communicate the Company’s Goals to the Workforce; Stoke the Competitive Spirit; Conduct Survey and Focus Groups; Do a Compensation Survey; Develop an Effective Pay-for-Performance Plan; Develop an Effective Recognition/Rewards Program; Practice Financial Education; Improve Employee Performance Improvement Sessions; Train Your Front Line Leaders; and Walk Around More. Again, great practical wisdom!
One of my favorite Morning Mantra articles is about Energy, where the book emphasizes that there are three essential ingredients necessary for high performance: adequate resources, proper time management and a high level of energy. The book then offers six rules to generate the necessary level of energy in any workplace. Great practical wisdom!
Another one of my favorite Morning Mantra articles is about Productivity, where the book emphasizes six basic steps for improving personal productivity to become a “Master Manipulator of Time”: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Action Planning; Self-Discipline; and The Power of Accountability. Again,great practical wisdom!
There is much more in the book! If you are interested in nuggets of practical wisdom, blending just enough Why with great amounts of How, don’t miss WorkQuake!
